


Long may he reign

by wngpxppy



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Bang Chan is Whipped, Bang Chan-centric, Enemies to Lovers, Flirty Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin is a bastard, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, dimply chan, semi enemies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:14:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29773932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wngpxppy/pseuds/wngpxppy
Summary: Since Chan, King of Australia, was a child, people have wanted his crown and his country. He is sent to Korea, to wed its next king, to save himself and his people, a bond that should protect him, but there are forces that conspire, forces of darkness, forces of the heart.or Chan must marry Minho in order to keep himself safe but once he arrived at the castle, things seem to take a turn and nothing seems to go as planned, especially when Chan finds himself falling in love.a modern royalty au based off on the tv show 'reign'
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 12
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

Jewelry of gold and silver, a crown that fits like it has waited a lifetime for its rightful owner, swords, suits of armor, ball gowns swaying all over the floor and words of loyalty being spoken on the dining table. All of these pretty stories that were told to children at a very young age, not leaving their imagination until they are old enough to see the scenarios for their own eyes. All of these stories that the people in the villages gossip about more often than they sit down to chew. All of these stories, they are nothing but an illusion, made up to make society believe that their rightful kingdoms were doing just fine when really they were far from it. 

However, in this case, it was hard to hide the truth behind a few written papers and stories that were like candy to one’s ear. This is a story that your children will not want to read. A story that leaves the villagers speechless, unable to chew even the slightest bite. 

This is not a fairytale. This is nothing more or less than a tragedy.

* * *

_Somewhere near Peking._

Ever since Bang Chan was a baby, he has been a king, claiming his crown at just 3 months old. His father, beloved king of Australia, already reigning for many years, took his last breath only a few months after his first and only son was born, leaving him alone with a kingdom to rule. 

At first, the world left him alone, he was too young to take action, too young to cause harm but as he got older, there were more and more people who were after his crown, threatening the man’s life. Ever since Chan was a child, the English have been after his country and his crown. 

Because of that, he had been hiding in small villages for his safety since the age of 11. The boy may not be hidden away behind safe castle walls but still, he felt fine. He thought he was secure where he was, hidden far away from any people who would ever have the intention to cause him harm. Chan liked where he was, he felt at home where he was, he had fun where he was, he was safe where he was. 

He was safe, until he wasn’t. 

It happened on a normal sunday evening, dinner had just been prepared and Chan, alongside with a few friends he made at the village, were headed inside to eat. But as he went down to sit with the others, they would normally sit with around 10 people at one table, all sharing the same food, he noticed how someone who had just taken a bite from today's meal had started to behave quite oddly. The young King's eyes were fixated on this person, wondering what could be wrong, wondering how he could help when suddenly, he was carried away by two other people.

He couldn’t even process what was happening, couldn’t even take one look behind his back to see how the situation evoked. In between screams and noises of utter shock, he could hear someone shout _“Save the King, bring him where he belongs, the time has come.”_

These were the last words he could hear before the door felt shut and he had no other choice but to follow the people who dragged him away, they were actually people he trusted which is why he knew that he was probably safe with them. Chan wasn’t sure if he knew what the person meant with their sentence. Of course he knew that he was not going to live here forever, that one day he would have to rightfully return to claim his throne, to rule his kingdom. He knew that but people always told him that it would still take a while, he was barely 20 yet, there was no way he could become a good king already. 

There was too much going on his head, too many thoughts and too many questions with no answer to be found. Something like that has never happened before. His mother told him that once he was out of Australia, he was safe from the ones who were after him, the ones who wanted his throne.

Chan had never doubted his mother’s words, for she had always been right with everything but now? The boy didn’t know what or who to believe anymore. 

Being totally lost in his own head, he did not even realize that he was not walking anymore and that there were people watching him with curious eyes. These were all the people he would see on a daily basis, the village was not big, one could easily go for a short walk and get through the whole village in no time. He had seen these people a million times but up until now he never knew that they were protecting him all this time, that they were probably working under the command of his mother. 

_“Your majesty we do not have any time left. You need to leave now”_

The woman in front of him said sternly, stopping in her tracks as they stood in front of a car. 

_“But I don’t understand, what just happened and where do I go? Back home isn’t any safer than here”_

The woman smiled at him before she placed both hands on his shoulders. 

_“You will go to Seoul my young king, you will then meet your future husband. Trust me, this is the right time and there is no place on earth where you would be safer.”_

Chan wasn’t sure. His future husband? Of course he knew that he was getting married, it had been arranged ever since he was a child. An alignment made between his mother and the south korean kingdom to protect both nations from any possible war that could happen. He learned at a very young age that Kings and Queens were not meant for “coincidences”, that there was and never will be any kind of accidental romance in his life. Everything from the day he was born up until the day he would die was planned out already, it had been for centuries. He had no say in it, he never did. That was something he had been taught to accept ever since he was young. Even as a king, even as a monarch, he could not choose his life. His life and those of the ones reigning after him had been laid out already, just waiting for him to accept it and follow it. 

Chan was a king, yet he was chained up and the only thing he was left with was watching the key to his freedom fading with every little second more and more. He had been fine as a child, young and free. Now people could order him around, could tell him where to go and what to do and he had to accept that. All his life, he had to blindly trust people, trust them in everything they told him to do, hoping that it would be good for him, hoping that it would keep him going. 

Which is why the young king just nodded his head and then proceeded to get into the backseat of the car without any word said. Aside from him, there were two other people in the car already, sitting in the front and not even bothering to look at him. Then, the car started and now, he was left with the faces of the people he knew and who cared for him fading away and being exchanged by dozens of trees and empty landscapes. 

On the way, there was much room for Chan to think about everything. Everything that just happened but also everything that will still happen from now on. Apparently, as the driver had told him, the person on the table got poisoned. The food was meant for him, this food was meant to kill him. Chan could have died right there if it wasn’t for the people around him, for the people who were protecting him ever since he was little. He had never realized how much these people are actually giving up only to keep him safe. These people were giving their life for him. They were ready to die just for his life to go on. 

He never quite understood how he was granted to be in such a position. Of course, he had always been a king, had always been royalty but up until now, he had not even done anything that could benefit the kingdom. All he did was hide and yet people were protecting him. Up until now it was all his mother. His mother was ruling the kingdom until he would have the chance to get out of his hiding, until he was old enough to fight for himself. Up until now Chan had done nothing but he knew these people were keeping him safe because they expected a lot from him. 

They gave their life for the protection of the kingdom, for the protection of their country. A country Chan would rule very soon.

However, everyone knew that Chan was too weak to rule on his own. That was not an insult, it was a fact. He had no experience whatsoever and if worse came to worse, he had no time to quickly learn everything. Thus, the arranged marriage came into the play. An alliance that would benefit Australia in the first place because his nation needed a strong kingdom that would protect him. 

It seemed crazy, how he had no choice but to put the safety of his nation into the hands of a man he had only ever met once in his life. 

He had only met his future husband once. They had only met when the deal was made and Chan barely had any memory of that. He was only around six or seven at that time. It was also one of the last times he had seen his mother because soon after that, the people dragged him away. Getting him from one small village to another, he hadn’t seen his mother in ten years. It must sound insane, his mother never saw him growing up, never saw him developing any further but for him and his family, it was normal. There was no typical childhood in the life of a monarch. There was no room for that. 

That was his life, it had always been his life and in just a few hours, he would enter a completely new life. 

He would live in a completely different environment with tons of people around him that he did not know. The villages he had been hiding in could never compare to the castle in Seoul, he had never seen it but everyone knew that it was magnificent. Chan couldn’t help but wonder, would he even fit into this life? For sure, he was royalty and he knew that a castle was where he was supposed to belong but in all those years, Chan hadn’t seen a castle. He knew the normal life, the life of the poor. How was he supposed to know how to act in front of people who had been living in a castle their whole life? Who didn’t have the same problems that he had? How was he supposed to know how to act normal?

He also wondered about his husband. He had never bothered to ask about the man, knowing he would someday be married to him but he always thought he had much more time. Chan didn’t know anything about the one that was supposed to rule beside him for the rest of their lives. He felt bad. In all those years, he just lived, without any questions about how his life was going to work out in the future, without any thoughts about the life that was awaiting him. Chan had lived and now, he couldn’t do that anymore. 

However, as he got to know by his driver, he was not going to be entirely alone. He had been told that friends of his were on the way to the castle right now. Friends, that he had grown up with, those who have been walking by his side ever since he was a child. Except, they were not really friends, at least not in the eyes of the public. They may have been friends before but their parents agreed that once they grew up, they too would dedicate their life to their King. These people were supposed to serve him, take care of him. They were not friends when their job was to keep Chan company. They were servants before they would ever be friends but that was and will never be how Chan views them.

To Chan, they were precious to his heart. They were the only real friends he ever had, the only people he was completely sure about. He knew he could trust them, no matter if they have not seen each other in almost a decade. He was excited to meet them again, talk to them again. He was excited to have friends again. 

Being a king at such a young age was never an advantage to Chan, he was never able to live like he had been wanting to. People told him what to do, how to behave, what to wear, who to befriend etc. He never had his life to himself. His life was not his. 

He never could make friends or visit a real school. He never was able to go on dates or find out who he truly was, who he truly loves. It was a miracle really, when he discovered at the age of 15 that he indeed liked men. Otherwise, the marriage would have failed before it even started. 

Now, he had at least had a little chance of love. 

Love. That was a word he was never taught but he knew that everyone around him considered it as the most important thing. Chan had always been left to watch how other kids, normal kids, grew up with a father and a mother by their side, how they were told not to stay outside for too long. When he asked those children why their parents were acting like that, they always responded the same way “because they love me”. 

Chan knew what it was like to be protected and cared for. He had never known another thing. There were dozens of people protecting him. However, Chan had never known love. He never had someone read him to sleep or a bed to crawl into when he had nightmares. He was a king after all, he was not supposed to be weak, not supposed to be normal. 

Love was not something that was considered important in his life, it will never be. 

Yet, it was something he believed in, something he believed to be true, to be wonderful, magical even. Chan never knew love but that did not mean that he had never yearned for it. He grew up reading dozens of books about all kinds of things, through them, he found out what love really was. It could be anything really, love could be from one person to another but also from one person to a certain thing. Love existed in many ways and the only thing Chan was allowed to love was his crown. 

Through these books he also learned that people normally get married out of love. That was not the case when you are royalty. That was never the case, he knew that. Still, he could not help but ask himself if there might have been a reason for his mother to choose the future King of Korea to be his husband. Maybe, in some aspect, their marriage was not only arranged by their parents and thus by the government as well but maybe, there was more to it. Maybe their marriage had also been arranged by the universe. 

It sounded silly, of course it did and Chan knew that if someone could hear his thoughts, they would tell him to stop thinking about nonsense but the boy couldn’t help it, couldn’t help but think about what could be if love was real. 

_“We have arrived your majesty”_

Chan looked up and indeed, the plane had landed already. He was quick to get out, following behind a few guards. There were guards everywhere on the roof they had landed on, making sure that no one who was not supposed to be here, was not here. The man had no choice but to follow behind the people in front of him, a firm hand on his back pushing him further whenever he stopped for a second. Together with about five other guards, they took the elevator down to the parking lot. Here too, everything was full of guards and the entire parking lot was empty except for a few cars that he knew belonged to them. The entire time, it was quiet. There was no one talking to each other, these people did not even sneeze, making no noise at all. Even as he got into one of the cars, it was quiet. 

The silence made him quite uncomfortable as he occupied himself by staring out of the window and watching as they passed full streets with lots of people and beautiful landscapes. This would be different than living in a small village, where only about 100 other people lived. Right now, he was on his way to a castle, a huge one to say the least. A castle with rooms more than he could count on his hand, with gold decorations and its very own lake. He was on his way to a life that he was supposed to fit in yet, while passing more and more buildings, Chan had never felt so foreign. 

Alongside with silence, there came doubts. It was one thing to not fit into a place but what if it would never get better? What if Chan would never fit in or meet the standards of the kingdom? What if the people in Korea would not love and accept him as the husband of their future king? What if his future husband would not even like him, would not even look at him? He may not have lived in a castle ever since he was a child but he knew that monarchs often considered mistresses or paramours. Chan was not sure if he liked the idea of his husband being occupied with somebody else while he was sleeping in another bedroom. Chan did not know if this was a life he would be comfortable with. However, if it were to happen, he had no choice but to accept.

Once again, an alignment stood above love, it always had and always will. Chan cannot let his feelings control the way he rules nor the way he acts towards his husband. 

But Chan didn’t want any of this. He didn’t want some unrequited love for the rest of his life, a marriage that was only perfect on paper and whose only purpose was to build a great alliance. Chan didn’t want that. As silly as it sounded, he was yearning for something different, something more, something beyond the rules and rights of a true King; He wanted romance, love and all these silly little butterflies inside his stomach. 

He knew it was a risk and that this feeling was only possible with one single person: his husband. Chan was not allowed to get himself a mistress or a paramour, he could not risk that when he was in the weaker position. His kingdom was the one needing help and not vice versa, he could not behave in an erroneous way. Therefore, a true love between him and the Prince was the only possible option he had, the only option to love he will ever have.

Chan was fearful to say the least. Now that he was close to arriving, he wanted to return, he wanted to get out of the car and flee but he couldn’t because the life outside would be far more dangerous. There was a voice inside his head, trying to convince him that this was good, that this would only benefit him. Safety not only for him but also for his nation. This was what he was supposed to want. 

So, he had no choice but to sit still until finally, the car came to stop in front of a huge castle, several people were already standing outside, their eyes wouldn’t leave the cars alone. These people, they probably belonged to the castle, they were probably all servants. Chan had not seen this many people in a long while and they all belonged to this one castle? It sounded insane when he thought about it. All these people. 

These people, they were all waiting, waiting for him. 

His driver got out first, telling him to stay in the car and as he tilted his head to look behind him, he saw more cars arriving. Cars that carried his belongings and all of his stuff but in these cars, there were also his friends. He couldn’t wait to see them again, it’s been years after all. Finally, they were going to reunite after such a long time. Finally, he was not alone anymore. 

Then, it was time. The door was opened for him by his driver and with a thanking nod, Chan stepped out of the car, trying to hide his nervousness and trying his best not to blush from all the attention he was getting as soon as he exited the car. Chan had never known this, he simply could not remember it, all the attention and all the expecting eyes on him. 

Would he meet their standards? Would he be what they had expected him to be? He could not help but wonder. 

Around him, the whispers began but he couldn’t hear them, couldn’t hear if they were good or bad and honestly, he chose that it would be better to not know. He was too anxious about what other people were possibly thinking of him at this very moment, too anxious about what would happen if they did not like him but he was not supposed to have these thoughts.

He was a King, these people were below him. He should not care if they would like him or not because they were supposed to like him. He would soon reign their country. 

Beside him, there were three young men who also just got out of their vehicles and before Chan could even greet them properly, he was tangled in a big group hug by all of them. He could not help but let a huge smile decorate his face as he felt the warmth of a comforting hug. It has been so long. 

_“Channie, we missed you”_

His youngest friend, Felix, said as they let go of each other again, a smile on all of their faces. Even if there was a hard life in front of him, these three would definitely make it easier for him. From now on, he did not have to face things on his own anymore. He had people with him, he had love. 

They were about to continue talking when loud music started playing, indicating that the King and Queen were on their way here, on their way to meet their son-in-law. 

Jisung, Changbin and Felix quickly stood behind him as Chan watched the scenario in front of him unfold, the crowd was a bit away from him and they all quickly stepped aside as soon as the royal couple was approaching. 

However, the King and Queen weren’t the only people coming his way, there was also another woman, much younger than the queen and her hand was tight around the King’s arm. Behind the two there was a young man. Chan would be foolish to say he was not completely mesmerized by the way the man looked, his slightly longer blond hair was practically shining under the sun. 

_“Is that the Prince? He looks so good”_ Chan could hear Jisung say beside him as they all seemed to look at the exact same person. _“No, I heard that this is the King’s bastard, the son of his new mistress, the woman beside the King”_ Felix then explained shortly. 

Chan stepped forward a bit, he was still far away from all the other people and no one seemed to make a move in his direction. He wondered when his Prince was going to come. Where was the man he was here for? Why did he not come alongside with his parents?

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw another young man coming his way, a slight smile on his face as he walked over the grassfield. The people immediately made room for him and bowed in front of him. All attention was now on said man and when stopped right in front of Chan, bowing out of respect, Chan could feel his heart skip a beat. This was him. 

_“Your majesty”_

Chan's cheeks heated up, a little bit overwhelmed with his future husband bowing in front of him and referring to him in such a formal way. It did not seem right. It did not seem right at all but it was supposed to, right? He was supposed to be familiar with being treated this way. But he was not. 

_“Call me Chan please”_

The two of them exchanged a smile before the man offered Chan his hand. 

_“I’m Minho”_

With a bright and loving smile, Chan took his hand. 

* * *

  
  


_Since Chan, King of Australia, was a child, people have wanted his crown and his country. He is sent to Korea, to wed its next king, to save himself and his people, a bond that should protect him, but there are forces that conspire, forces of darkness, forces of the heart._

_Long may he reign._

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minho is an idiot. That's it. That's the summary

_About one hour before the arrival. The Lee Kingdom, Seoul._

The cold wind hit him right across the face as the door in front of him opened with a verve. The Prince turned around with curious eyes only to find an all too familiar man, who was currently trying to catch his breath. He chuckled slightly as he patted the intruder on the back and gave him a small smile.

_“Hyunjin, what’s the hurry?”_

He looked up in an instant, giving the older a look of implausibility. _“What’s the hurry you ask? The hurry is that you-”_ He made a dramatic move with his finger, tapping his stepbrother’s nose a few times before continuing. _“-are supposed to be downstairs right now, ready to meet the one you will marry but instead our lovely prince is up here, in his chambers and he is not even fully dressed. Unbelievable.”_ Hyunjin got closer to him, fixing his unbuttoned shirt while shaking his head dramatically. Minho could do nothing but giggle at that. Hyunjin was just as dramatic as ever. He still had about one hour, before the carriage would arrive, he had plenty of time to...well, mind his own business. 

Business that he was initially planning on keeping to himself but apparently fate was not on his side as he heard another door creaking open, soft footsteps were audible and before Minho had the chance to say anything, Hyunjin was already hitting his head. 

_“I cannot believe you sometimes”_ The younger would whisper before quickly letting go of his shirt, realization seemed to hit him as he looked at the Prince with disgust in his eyes. Minho was about to laugh at him when he realized that the two of them were not alone in the room.

 _“Your Grace, will you come back?”_ That definitely did not help at all with the speech he would have to listen to later. Hyunjin always had something to complain about and the universe seemed to help him find more and more reasons every day. Minho scoffed, he was the Prince, the universe should be on _his_ side. 

_“Ah I’m sorry sweetheart but I think I have somewhere to be and I think you have to go back into the kitchen, don’t you?”_ Minho winked at the last sentence before he turned around again, grabbing his shoes and jacket before dragging Hyunjin out of the room. She would find her way back eventually and if she were to steal something, she knew that her life was at risk. 

Shutting the door behind him, Hyunjin did not hesitate one second to slap Minho a few times. It was so normal, the older did not even respond to it anymore, he just let it happen. As soon as Hyunjin seemed to be done with letting out his unnecessary anger, Minho turned around, looking at the younger. 

_“So? How is everything going?”_

_“Well, your mother is planning the event, father is annoying her while doing so and oh, have I mentioned that your husband is about to arrive?”_

Minho continued walking, Hyunjin quietly following behind him. _“Don’t call him that”_

_“But that’s what he is”_

_“Not yet”_

_“He will be soon though”_

Minho groaned, looking at his brother in annoyance. He knew Hyunjin was doing this on purpose. _“Please just leave me alone, will you?”_

Hyunjin laughed, patting the older on the shoulder. _“Alright, I wanted to go on a quick ride anyway, you should go to your mother maybe. See you in a bit.”_ And with that, he was gone. Minho shook his head before asking a nearby servant where his mother was currently at. 

He knocked on the door gently before entering the big hall that was currently getting decorated. Or well, at least people were trying their best at decorating while his mother kept correcting them, stating that it was “too low”, “too much to the right” and so on. However, as soon as she saw her son, she let go of the poor people doing their work. _“I was told I was needed”_

 _“Right my lovely. How do you feel about the decor, do you think it is too much for the dance tonight?”_ Minho looked up and around. Everything was starting to get filled, tables were decorated with pretty flowers and silver cutlery. The kitchen ladies and men running around in a haste. It was a typical day almost. 

_“I think you did a beautiful job mother”_

_“Thank you, it was hard but I think our guests will like it. I can see that you are already dressed for later”_

Minho looked down at his clothes, he had picked them randomly if he was being honest, having thrown on the first thing he saw in his closet. Yet he smiled at his mother, she wouldn’t have to know that. Instead, he decided to lead the conversation in another direction. _“Right. Bang Chan, isn’t it? He is on his way?”_

 _“He is and somehow you do not seem excited at all”_ His mother had a worried look on her face. Of course she did, she knew Minho better than he would know himself sometimes. She noticed immediately that he was not all too happy about their guests. 

_“I don’t understand you my love, you and Chan were playmates once. You two would play the entire day, running around the whole castle until the sun started setting. I still remember you crying when he departed”_

_"That was a long time ago. All I can remember is that he had soft hair, short legs and strong opinions.”_

_“Well, let’s hope the legs have grown and if the opinions annoy you, you can ignore them. Now go and bother someone else, I still need to get my dress fixed”_

Minho just nodded before doing as his mother told him to.

His husband would arrive soon and somehow, that did not exactly excite him as much as it may should.

Everyone was waiting for him. He knew that but still, he gave himself more time. Servants had already called for him, telling him that the King had arrived and that he should greet him but Minho could not help himself, the grapes inside the kitchen just tasted way too amazing. He could not get away from them. However, he knew that he had to, which is why he gave the nearly empty bowl to one of the ladies before fixing his shirt and getting ready to go and meet the one who everyone has been waiting for. His future husband. Minho hated that term. He hated the thought of marriage, the thought of love. He absolutely despised everything about it. Minho took the kitchen door, stepping outside and making his way across the excited people. They were not even giving him any attention, all of them focussed on the new guests. Minho's head shot up, looking in between the many people. There he was. There he was and he was waiting for him. 

The Prince put on his best smile before walking across the lawn, making his way to his soon-to-be partner. Minho stopped, standing right in front of him and bowing slightly. He smirked, feeling everyone’s eyes on him. Everyone was waiting for one of them to move, to talk to the other, to give the people what they were here for: a reason to talk. 

_“Your majesty”_

He looked back up, meeting the other’s eyes and the blush the other had on his cheek didn’t go unnoticed. Minho’s smirk only grew wider.

_“Call me Chan please”_

_“I’m Minho”_

They exchanged a smile as they shook hands. It was silent for a second before Minho cleared his throat and turned, hands pointing at the castle in front of them before looking back at Chan. 

_“Shall we?”_

The older just gave him a slight nod before they made their way across the people, everyone bowing in front of the new guest. 

* * *

  
  


_“Finally it is over”_

_“I thought he was going to lecture us forever ‘account the King’ ‘take care of the King’ ‘show the King to the toilet’ ugh be quiet will you”_

The group of friends erupted in laughter as Jisung and Felix kept complaining about the speech they had just been given. Chan had just sat there quietly, listening to it all and even he found it ridiculous. He was not a child anymore, he was grown and yet, his friends were supposed to do all of these things for him? Help him in every little situation? Simply laughable, that’s what it was. It was a nice and comfortable feeling to finally laugh again with people who you considered friends. Chan realized with every passing minute just how much he had missed this. The two youngest were currently looking at all the attire in Chan’s huge closet, laughing about some of the things and just enjoying themselves. Meanwhile, Changbin sat with him on the side of the bed, watching the others have their fun. _“It’s crazy to be here again, to be with you again”_ He stated, looking around the room and taking in every little detail. Chan did that too. This was so much different than what he had seen in the past few years. 

_“It really is, we have all grown so much.”_

They stayed like this for a while, enjoying each other’s company and catching up a little before Jisung had the brilliant idea to go and explore the castle, Felix was with him in a second and even Changbin agreed to it.

 _“You don’t want to come?”_ Felix looked down at the oldest. _“No no you three go and have fun, there is something I wanted to see”_ With that, Chan was left alone, his friends running around the castle. 

He too was quick to step outside his chambers, wanting to go somewhere specific. His hand wandered over the wooden railing as he slowly went up the stairs. Chan remembered this, only faintly but still, there was a memory. There was him and Minho, running up the stairs as children, laughing and whispering silly stuff to each other. Chan smiled at the memory. He had reached the top of the staircase, there were strange noises coming from behind the door beside him. The door was slightly opened, allowing him to look at what was going on. As he realized who was in there and what the person was doing, Chan grew curious. He could not help himself, stepping in without having even knocked. The Prince’s head shot up as he heard footsteps, surprised at the sudden guest. He let go off his activity as he stepped closer towards the other. _“Chan”_

_“Minho, I didn’t know you were up here. I came here because well, these used to be my old rooms when I was little, I guess I just wanted to see how the castle has changed”_

_“Well, it has changed a lot. No one really comes up here anymore.”_ Minho replied, his tone sharp and a bit distant. Yet, Chan did not seem to notice. He was more focused on what the younger had been working on up until now, stepping more into the room as he looked at the things on the table. There was all kinds of woodwork, work that one would not see anymore in this time and space. He was amazed at the scenery, there were swords and other weapons. It was truly prodigious to say the least. 

_“Is all this yours?”_

If Chan was trying to hide his fascination, it definitely did not work as his eyes only grew wider while he couldn’t seem to let go of the things in front of him. Minho chuckled slightly.

_“Yeah, I am trying to learn how to make swords and knives. It’s not that well yet but maybe someday”_

_“Oh but why? As a future King, you would have dozens of swords and knives”_ It was not like Chan didn’t like the idea of it. He was actually fascinated by it, all of this work even if Minho would not even need to. He was amazed by the effort. 

_“I just...Don’t you think every man, even a King, should have at least some kind of skill? The royal title was given to me ever since I was born but this-”_ Minho pointed at the table as he came closer again, now standing at the other side of it, looking into Chan’s eyes. _“-this is all mine. I didn’t inherit it, I learned it, I am still learning it. A title can be taken from you but a skill? That is something you will keep forever if you try your best at it.”_ As Minho kept on talking, Chan couldn’t help but smile at him, being amazed by what he was saying. 

They were not children anymore, there was more to life than playing and worrying about the future as a royal. There was a challenge to life and each and everyone had a different one. There was excitement to life, adventures and experience. Chan could not wait to finally discover it all, discover his challenges, skills and adventures. 

When he came here, when he came to the castle, he had thought that he would be caged, not allowed to go anywhere and not allowed to do anything. That was what life was like when he was young. But now that he was older, he started to realize that maybe, there was more to a castle than a prison. Especially with the way Minho kept talking, it made him feel like he was free. They continued to talk for a little, even if Minho seemed to be not even half as interested in the conversation as Chan. 

At some point, Chan left the younger alone, instead going back to exploring in and around the castle. The garden was even more beautiful around this time of the year, he had realized as he walked through it. All of the flowers were blooming and birds were chirping. It was late summer and everything seemed to be glowing around him. He took a seat on one of the benches, just sitting there and admiring the atmosphere around him, still not being able to believe that he was finally here, in such a big place. He picked a few flowers, making a small bouquet out of them as he decided to go inside the castle again, it was starting to get a little cold outside, the sun was not going to be out for much longer. 

Chan didn’t know why and how but somehow, he found himself looking at the flowers in his hand and instantly, he had the urge to give them to someone. He asked around, making sure he would not knock on the wrong door before coming at halt in front of a certain door. He knocked carefully, not wanting to be disrespectful after all. It took a moment or two until the door was opened but not fully, only so much that Chan could look at the person in front of him. 

_“Chan? What is it?”_

The older smiled, holding up the flowers slightly before explaining _“I brought you these”_ Minho gave him a quick look, there was something about the way he stared at Chan that just didn’t sit right with him. 

_“Now is not a good time”_ Chan was confused. Only half an hour ago Minho seemed to have plenty of time, what had changed now? He noticed how the younger let his eyes wander across the hallway, checking if anyone else was near. Chan couldn’t quite put a finger on it but somehow, Minho seemed nervous, flustered almost. _“Maybe announce yourself next time. You shouldn’t be here”_

 _“I don’t understand…”_ Chan paused, trying to find the reason why Minho seemed so distant and cold, trying to find out what he was trying to hide. He noticed the way the younger would not allow him one glance inside the room, immediately tensing up whenever Chan tried to sneak a glance. _“Are you with someone?”_

Minho looked at him, his eyes as cold as his tone. _“If you are going to rule by my side at some point, you need to understand something”_ His gaze was strong, almost dominating. _“I owe you no explanation or answer, ever.”_ With that, the door closed. 

Rushing back downstairs, Chan was quick to throw the flowers into the next bin. He was about to leave again when he heard a voice behind him. 

_“Woah what have those flowers done to you to be treated in such a horrid way?”_

He turned around, meeting the eyes of a young man with a cheeky smile. He had gotten the flowers out of the bin, holding them in his hands now. Chan took a step closer, trying to replace the anger with a somewhat friendly smile. 

_"Well, you could ask your brother”_

_“Ask him what?”_

_“Why he is such a moody, arrogant idiot maybe”_

Hyunjin laughed at that and Chan couldn’t help but break out in a smile himself. There was an energy to the man that made Chan want to smile forever. 

_“Well, we are half-brothers so we actually have nothing in common. But I’ll let him know”_

_“Don’t bother, it’s stupid anyway”_

At that, Hyunjin came a little closer, fiddling with the flowers in his hand, holding them up a little.

_“Nothing that is stupid would get you to throw away these pretty things”_

Before the older could process, he felt a hand on his ear, tucking a flower behind it. Chan looked at the younger with surprised eyes but the man just smiled at his action. 

_“It looks pretty on you.”_

* * *

  
  


Evening came around and Chan had not seen the Prince ever since their little encounter. The ballroom was filled with people, people Chan had no idea of but they all bowed in front of him, offering their gratitude and best wishes to him. It felt odd; everyone knew who he was but he barely knew anyone. He was happy he had his friends by his side, keeping him company at all times, even though Felix and Jisung were fooling around once again. Changbin was by his side, standing right beside him as he kept getting involved in more and more conversations. When the current one finally ended (Chan had stopped listening as soon as the guy started to talk about all his turtles and how he planned on starting a business with them) the young King sighed in relief, his friend gave him a comforting smile.

 _“You know what? I want to dance”_ Chan decided, looking at Changbin. 

_“But you cannot possibly dance alone?”_ Chan let his eyes roam around, spotting his other friends in an instant. With a smile, he grabbed Changbins hand and dragged him towards the other two. _“Who said I was going to dance alone?”_

As the music got louder, the four of them entered the dance floor, quickly earning the attention of many. He knew what people were going to think as soon as he started laughing alongside his friends. He was nothing like what they had expected their King to be like. He was nothing like what a King was _supposed_ to be like. But Chan didn’t care. He wanted to have fun and he was going to have fun, screw the people. The dance floor was theirs but only for a moment before other people seemed to be catching up on their fun, joining in with just as cheerful laughters and smiles, twirling around in their gowns and suits. 

Chan was in the middle of it all, without having even intended to. Around him the people kept dancing, kept laughing, kept being themselves. It was mesmerizing to see. All of a sudden there were feathers falling from the sky like snowflakes, someone must have arranged that. It didn’t stop the others and normally, it wouldn’t stop Chan but when he looked up, he started to remember yet another memory. He remembered the days in his childhood, where he and Minho would jump on beds, starting pillow fights for no reason and not stopping until the room was filled with feathers. They kept throwing the feathers above their heads, dancing underneath them as they giggled so happily. Chan’s eyes would not leave the many feathers that kept twirling in the air above his head and when he did dare to look somewhere else, he was met with staring right into Minho’s eyes. Their eyes would not leave each other alone but only for a moment they let themselves be gone in the moment before the music in his ears got louder again, Chan being dragged away by his friends. 

The event slowly came to an end, there were only a few people left on the dance floor and Chan had long been sitting with his friends, eating and talking. However, there was one thing that could not leave his mind and that was whatever had happened in front of Minho’s room. Chan had the urge to talk to the younger and that immediately. As he stood up and started searching for the Prince, he realized he was not the only one searching for someone, being met with Minho suddenly coming out of a room, seeming to be in a rush but when he spotted Chan, he stopped in his tracks, coming closer until they were standing right in front of each other. 

_“I have been wanting to talk to you. When you came to my room earlier, I should not have reacted the way I did and I wanted to apologize for that.”_ To say Chan was surprised was an understatement, he had expected everything but not an apology. Maybe Hyunjin did talk to him after all, the oldest made a mental note to go thank Hyunjin later. _“Listen, I know you had a life before me, you still do apparently but I hope you do realize that we are going to be married one day. And if not to each other, we owe it to everyone else, to our families and to our countries that we find a way to work this out, that we find a way to give all of this a chance”_

 _“Chan, things are not as simple as you believe they are”_ The older scoffed at that. Unbelievable. _“As simple as I think they are? Minho we have been engaged ever since we were children, this has all been planned for decades, the least you can do is act like you want this.”_ Chan spatted, slowly getting angry again at the way the younger was reacting to all of this. 

_“It’s not about that. It’s not about the planning and it’s not about you. It is about what is right for my country and right now, an alliance with Australia could not benefit but only destroy us.”_ Chan looked at him, not being sure if what he had heard was correct. He could not believe it, could not believe the other’s words. Minho continued talking about alliances and countries and how Korea and Australia were not good for each other right now, how things wouldn’t work out. Slowly, Chan was hit with realization, a horrible realization. 

_"You don’t want to marry me.”_

Minho looked at him, no words leaving his mouth, nothing against the statement that had just been made. So instead of waiting any longer for an answer that could ruin even more, Chan continued.

_“You don’t want this at all, any of this and you won’t love me, will you? Our marriage, it means nothing to you. You will not love me. You won’t let yourself love me and that for the sake of a country”_

_“Love is irrelevant to people like us”_ Chan looked at him, there was no anger inside of him anymore, there was nothing actually, nothing but emptiness. He came all the way here, to a country that was supposed to protect him, a country that was supposed to support him and it was all for nothing? Chan felt empty. _“You will only act if it benefits your country, only choose to marry me when it benefits your kingdom. You do not care about those around you. You do not care at all. You are engaged to me Minho and yet, you have no intention of marrying me. What if I told that to your father, the King, what if I would tell them that you already planned ahead? ”_ Minho suddenly looked at him, shaking his head, trying to step closer but with every step he took towards Chan, the older took one step backwards. 

_“You wouldn’t tell them that because it is not true. I might marry you, alright? We have no idea how the situation will play out. If you tell them that, things may not go the way we want them to.”_ At that, Chan tensed, looking back up into the eyes he had been avoiding. There was still hope in the words Minho chose to use. It may be very small but it was there. Chan could sense it. 

_“The way_ **_we_ ** _want them to?”_

Minho gulped, looking everywhere but at the one in front of him. Maybe he should not have said this, maybe he should have handled his words better, maybe-

 _“Tell me Minho, if you were not the future King of Korea and I was just a boy. not the King of anything either, would you want this?”_ Minho looked right at him, his eyes meeting Chans and for once in their conversation, he could see how soft the color inside Chan’s eyes was, how beautifully alluring they shimmered. Minho could see it all, could count every lash and every little faint freckle. Within only one moment, Minho could change so much, could do so much. 

And if he weren’t a Prince, if his people were not going to count on him in the future, maybe he would have. Maybe, in another universe, where they were both nothing but normal, Minho would have taken the chance to change things. But in this universe, he made up a stupid excuse and left the older standing there, the hope slowly but surely washing away, his eyes losing their shimmer. 

* * *

  
  


Unbeknownst to the people, there were those who were not paying as much attention to the soon-to-be couple as they should. While Chan and Minho had introduced themselves to each other earlier, there were two people at the very back of the crowd, hiding in the shadows. The air around them grew cold as one of them felt a shiver down his spine, earning the immediate attention of the other. 

_“You saw something, didn’t you? You must tell me”_

_“I saw his future…”_

_“And?”_

_“His union with Chan. He will cost Minho his life.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anddd chapter two!!  
> also, i just wanted to add that even if the story is based off on a show, i would not copy every detail of the show. i'll copy some aspects and if i'm too lazy a bit of dialouge too but yeah, just wanted to make that clear hehe  
> hope you guys liked it :(

**Author's Note:**

> uhm...welcome to my first chaptered fic? i'll do my best at updating regularly but i cannot promise anything so pls be patient
> 
> anyways hope you liked it •w•


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